GliaCure is a privately held company that is pioneering the development of novel therapeutics aimed at treating neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders of the brain. The company's approaches are based on glial targets, a cell type in the brain that has previously been overlooked in drug discovery. GliaCure's lead product candidate, GC021109, is a small molecule that has two primary actions downstream of target engagement: the stimulation of phagocytosis and anti-inflammatory actions in which levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are reduced. GC021109 is currently being developed primarily as a disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease and will enter a clinical trial for the disorder in Q3 2014; however, the dual phagocytic and anti-inflammatory actions of GC021109 have the potential to affect other disorders, including psoriasis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. GliaCure has an exclusive license to the GC021109 compound and related technology from Tufts University. GliaCure also has a pipeline program for the development of therapeutics for astrocytic targets related to sleep disorders and depression. The company is based in Boston and is headed by Professor Philip G. Haydon, who also holds the position of Chair of Neuroscience at Tufts University.
